Tag Archives: News

Firefighters practice on Marshall Road

West Sacramento firefighters will be practicing their fire control techniques over the next couple of hours (early afternoon, July 31) at a Southport structure donated for their use.

The controlled burn will take place at 3450 Marshall Road, near Golden Gate Drive.

According to Division Chief Becky Ramirez, firefighters will focus on “defensive techniques” — attempting to contain the fire in just one portion of the structure, or coming up with a strategy to keep it from spreading to (hypothetical) adjoining structures.

The burn has been scheduled for some time, pending approval of air quality officials who were waiting for suitable conditions. Neighbors have been notified, Ramirez told the News-Ledger.

The landowners plan to demolish the structure after the burn practice.

Copyright News-Ledger 2013

Kids’ music camp performs a finale

Final summer performance of the West Sacramento KIDS Music Camp (Click to enlarge).Information and photo courtesy of Charlotte Dorsey, BBCAN

FROM THE NEWS-LEDGER — JULY 24, 2013 —

The annual “Kids Summer Music Camp” presented a public concert on Thursday in front of parents and friends.

The camp offered a number of local children their first experience with a musical instrument. It was part of the K.I.D.S. program of the West Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department. Although that program works with several schools, music camp was offered this year solely in conjunction with Elkhorn Village Elementary School.

Participation was free to the kids, and instruments were provided. Working with the parks department to support the music camp were the Bryte and Broderick Community Action Network and West Sacramento Music Academy.

Copyright News-Ledger 2013

Teen maimed by improvised fireworks

FROM THE NEWS-LEDGER — JULY 24, 2013 —

By Steve MarschkeNews-Ledger Editor

The “4th of July” fireworks season wasn’t all fun and games this year in West Sacramento.

“On July 7, a 19-year old man blew off his hand – literally blew it off – as a result of the detonation of an improvised fireworks device,” said Lieutenant Tod Sockman of the West Sacramento Police Department.

“Basically, he made a homemade firework and took it out of his backpack,” Sockman told the News-Ledger. “When he lit it and raised it over his head, it blew his hand off.”

The victim was Alexander Baker. The incident occurred at about 3 p.m. on the 2200-block of Rice Avenue, said Sockman. Two other people were on scene but “at a distance” when it blew. Sockman added that police weren’t sure about the device’s origin:

“He claimed to have found it, but we don’t know. He went to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment. I know that he’s had surgery, and he lost his hand up to his forearm.”

Sockman said investigators were still determining what the device was made from, but that it wasn’t a “safe and sane” type of legal fireworks.

Three seasons ago, the City of West Sacramento legalized “safe and sane” fireworks. Charities were selected by lottery to sell these fireworks by lottery, and they could legally be set off this year from noon on July 28 through noon on July 6.

With fireworks season comes complaints from local residents about neighbors using illegal styles of fireworks – powerful exploding types, or aerial fireworks. The News-Ledger observed dozens of such complaints in police call logs early this month.

But Sockman says that – at least judging by calls to police – the problem of illegal fireworks is not rising year-by-year.

“Between June 28 and July 4, we tracked the calls for service (due misuse of fireworks) in 2012 and 2013,” said Sockman. “Last year, we had 88 calls for service related to fireworks. It was not necessarily for illegal fireworks. Sometimes, people are just saying, ‘hey, people are shooting off fireworks.’”

“We had 33 calls this year,” he added. Peak time for the complaints went from about 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. during those days, said Sockman. But he noted that the number of complaints had dropped by over half from the previous year.

“On the Fourth of July, we actually assigned two officers to fireworks patrol,” he added.

No one was ever actually cited or arrested this year. People frequently “light them off and run,” so they’re gone when officers arrive, said Sockman.

So what should you do next year, if you believe someone is using fireworks illegally?

“Call us,” said Sockman. “The fact that we assigned two officers to handle this shows the importance. We appreciate those calls because we want to get the illegal fireworks off the street.”

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Copyright News-Ledger 2013

15 block parties planned for ‘National Night Out’ in West Sac

FROM THE NEWS-LEDGER — JULY 24, 2013 —

The annual “National Night Out” block party and anti-crime rally is planned for Aug. 6 this year. Fifteen West Sacramento blocks will hold events this year from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. They are: